State Representative Tim Wesco of Osceola presented a “Sagamore of the Wabash” award to Fire Chief Timm Schabbel of the Clay Fire Territory for his 35 years of service and dedication to the South Bend community.

The presentation happened during Clay Fire’s recent annual awards banquet.

Schabbel is the longest tenured chief officer in the agency’s 75-year history, serving from 1997 to 2024.

Under his leadership, Clay Fire became the first internationally accredited fire department in the state.

“For the last 35 years of his career, Chief Schabbel has shown what it takes to be a leader inside and outside of the firehouse,” Wesco said. “He embodies all of the qualities of what a public servant should try to strive for and achieve. I, along with so many Hoosiers, are incredibly thankful for his service and it’s an honor to be able to present him the Sagamore of the Wabash.”

Wesco said Schabbel’s vision and determination resulted in the uniting of three well-established and successful fire departments into the Clay Fire Territory. More than a decade ago, Schabbel successfully proposed and created the Clay Fire Command Training Center, which was the first such resource in Indiana, and has trained more than 300 incident commanders from all around the world.